PERCULTALINA: A NEW LAGENID BENTHIC FORAMINIFERAL GENUS

Percultalina n. gen. is introduced here to include the Early Paleogene benthic Lagenid foraminiferids from Jordan and Egypt (Southern Tethys) that characterized by its large lenticular initial portion followed by two or more uniserial elongate erected or inclined inflated rounded chambers, ornamented surface by elevated sutures with a row of tubercles or nodes along the sutures, and spinose surface. This new genus has been previously assigned to different genera: Vaginulinopsis Reuss, or Percultazonaria Loeblich & Tappan, or Marginulinopsis Silvestri. Three Early Paleogene species of the new genus are described here from two countries in Jordan: Percultalina wadiarabensis (Futyan) with rectilinear uniserial portion of the test (the genotype of the new genus), and Egypt: Percultalina misrensis Anan (n. sp.), and P. sinaensis with inclined uniserial portion of the test. Moreover, varied and diverse genera of the Lagenid benthic foraminifera are attempted here to study the holotypes of seven diagnostic genera of this group: Lenticulina Lamarck, Cribrolenticulina Haman, Marginulinopsis Silvestri, Percultazonaria Anan, Leticuzonaria Anan, Lenticubella Anan and Percultalina Anan. The taxonomic revision of these seven genera will greatly aid paleontologists and biostratigraphers to helpfully understanding.